Your palms are sweaty — you’ve been looking through profiles for hours. Some sound too good to be true, and others sound just plain wacky. Looking through pictures and profiles, overwhelmed by both too much information, and not nearly enough, you turn off the computer and decide to look again tomorrow.

You’re choosing a city councillor in Somerset Ward.

There are 11 candidates running in Somerset Ward, as you may have noticed by their signs, littered throughout our parks, streets and intersections. And while you could make your decision based on lawn signs, you could also flex that democratic muscle and make an informed decision.

And with all these candidates it’s also going to take a bit of stock-taking on your part of what’s important to you, and who can best realize those goals, because after all, we’re all stuck in a mandatory 4-year relationship with this person.

SomersetWard.com is a project I started in vain, to make it easier to compare candidates. In a handy, central location, it’s easier to compare how candidates will tackle big issues like ensuring affordable housing in the city, improving cycling infrastructure, how the city can better support local businesses, and the controversial biweekly garbage and green bin program.

So check out the candidates’ positions; see if you can find a match. And because I’m feeling nice, here’s a little cheat sheet on how to tell them apart, in no particular order:

Catherine “Pass me that Torch” McKenney – She’s the assumed frontrunner, and likely the one with the most experience, having worked for Diane Holmes, Ed Broadbent, and most recently as an aide to the Deputy City Manager.

Thomas “Support Local” McVeigh – You’ve certainly eaten at Absinthe, the restaurant he manages, and having worked for small businesses for most of his career, he intends to bring a focus on supporting small, local businesses that the city could use more of.

Silviu “The Activist” Riley – He’s ambitiously campaigning one of the more lefty platforms, which includes a focus on increasing the minimum wage to $15, and stopping the energy east pipeline.

Jeff “Pass me the Mic” Morrison – Jeff’s produced some of the most compelling answers at live debates, which complements his many leadership roles in Ottawa, most prominently having led the charge to keep the casino out of the city.

Conor “#OttawaIsAwesome!” Meade – Conor brings a lot of energy to his platform, billing himself as a pragmatic centrist, and focusing on goals of supporting intensification in the core. He was super enthusiastic about Uber’s expansion into Ottawa.

Edward “The Analyst” Conway –A lawyer by training, Edward’s got full a length analyses on his website examining how intensification has changed our city, why Ottawa’s density may not be able to support the LRT, and what we might be able to do about it.

Martin “New Ottawa” Canning – Martin has built his strategy from the ground up, having knocked on doors since January, collecting the views of the ward. Outreach continues to be his strength, and he’s promising to bring his office to you via pop-up offices, if elected.

Denis “Community Champion” Schryburt– Denis’ community experience sets him apart, with wide-ranging experience as the community co-chair for the Ottawa Police Service’s LGBT liaison committee, a co-founder of TotoToo Theatre, and past vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association.

Lili “This is my ward now” Weeman — Lili is a bit of a career candidate, having previously run in several elections, including for Mayor of Toronto. She’s not afraid to say exactly what she thinks, and her blue-sky ideas have kept candidates on their toes, and us entertained during debates.

Sandro “Simple Solutions” Provenzano — Born and raised in Little Italy, Sandro is championing the “Keep it Simple” mantra throughout his campaign. Sandro has consistently reiterated the importance of looking for straightforward solutions to our city’s problems.

Curtis “Last but not least” Tom — Curtis is our final entry into Somerset Ward, having launched his campaign with less than a month to voting day. Hard to get a read on him, given that he’s missed most of the debates, but he’s coming from the tech sector, with various volunteer experiences.

But it’s really up to you, the intrepid voter, to figure out what’s important to you, and who can deliver that the best. Because after all, we build this city.

Check out SomersetWard.com to watch debates and compare all candidates on big issues. Advance voting is on October 18, and Election Day is October 27. To find out where you can vote, check out the City of Ottawa’s website.

]]>http://apt613.ca/somerset-ward-decisions-decisions/feed/1Weekend Roundup: What to do in Ottawahttp://apt613.ca/weekend-roundup-what-to-do-in-ottawa-74/
http://apt613.ca/weekend-roundup-what-to-do-in-ottawa-74/#commentsThu, 16 Oct 2014 12:50:04 +0000Amanda Armstronghttp://apt613.ca/?p=75776As we move out of a warm week of beautiful weather and into the third weekend of this great month, we have a whole lot of music (and plenty more) in store for you.

Thursday is World Food Day and the Good Food Box is hosting a World Food Day Ottawa event at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health. There, you can enjoy some delicious bannock and learn about sustainable food production.

With bellies full, there is still room to savour some art. Thursday night marks the vernissage of Claudia Gutierrez’s art exhibit, Survivorship Bias, at The Lorraine Fritzi Yale Gallery. The artist uses a variety of mediums, including painting and printmaking, to explore the human mind’s tendency to ignore failures, in favour of our successes.

Afterwards, why not come out for a night of indie music at Raw Sugar Cafe? Ottawa artists Kalle Mattson and Heavy Bedroom will be filling the space with some spectacular tunes. For fans of Canadian electro-pop musician LIGHTS, she is also having a show at Algonquin College this Thursday night.

This Friday, Carleton University’s Art Gallery and the Carleton University Alumni Association will be partnering to host a throwback edition of Double Major. A graduate from both the Faculty of Public Affairs and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences will be presenting on The Business of Doing Good and Winning the 2015 Federal Election.

There is more music, for those able to make the trek out to Orleans this Friday. Ottawa’s electro-indie-rock band, Fevers, plays at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Guaranteed they’ll be worth the trip!

There is also a Halloween Roller Disco happening at the ARSO Centre Multisport in Gatineau this Friday. Get dressed up, throw on some roller skates, and boogie on down to some great disco tunes. No skates of your own? No problem! You can rent them at the arena!

This Saturday, make sure to check out the 613 Night Market, happening at the Convention Centre. A day of local food vendors and businesses, teaming up to give us the best selection of treats and eats. Paired with music, art, and a cash bar, this is an event you won’t want to miss!

Make sure to swing by LUSH cosmetics in the Byward Market before (or after) the 613 Night Market. They are pairing up with Ecology Ottawa for a Charity Pot Party. Get yourself some delicious smelling lotion pots, with all proceeds going towards Ecology Ottawa’s initiative to stop the Energy East Tar Sands Pipeline from coming through Ottawa.

There is something to suit everyone’s musical tastes happening in Ottawa this Saturday. The Clocktower Brew Pub on Bank Street is putting on a Double Slap of Rock, featuring Southern Mud and On Better Ground. A portion of the proceeds from this show are being given to the Charlie Foundation, which help treat those with epilepsy by means of dietary changes. If hip hop is more your style, head on over to Ritual, for the OBL Hip Hop Beat Battle, featuring Roc-a-fella. Or, if your preference is a little bit of funk, with a whole lotta soul, make sure to be at Babylon to catch the stellar Souljazz Orchestra.

The music-filled weekend culminates on Sunday, with the All in One Record Sale and 4in1 Music Series at Antique Skate Shop. Part of Apt613’s Support Local month, you can come shop for records from the best of our local talent, while enjoying live musical performances by artists like Pony Girl, Gold & Marrow, Fevers, and Matt Morel.

If you manage to have some time to spare, with all that is happening this weekend, be sure to check out the Byward Market Harvest, happening all weekend long. With delicious harvest produce, wagon rides, and a children’s tent, this is a festival that guarantees fun for the whole family.

As always, we want to see what Ottawans are up to! Instagram your adventures and hashtag them #Apt613Weekend42!

]]>http://apt613.ca/weekend-roundup-what-to-do-in-ottawa-74/feed/3Geek-out your walking with Ottawa (de)tourshttp://apt613.ca/geek-out-your-walking-with-ottawa-detours/
http://apt613.ca/geek-out-your-walking-with-ottawa-detours/#commentsThu, 21 Aug 2014 20:00:29 +0000Ryan Saxby Hillhttp://apt613.ca/?p=73362I love a good walking tour. I’ve been a fan of Jane’s Walk for quite a while and Apartment613 has run some pretty amazing walks over the years. That’s why I was so pleased to learn about the newly launched Ottawa (de)tours, an insightful set of walking tours and conversations that are addressing political and social issues. I shot a few questions over to Dan Monafu, one of the founders of the project, to find out more about what we could expect, and also had the pleasure of taking part in Ottawa (de)tours feminism tour a few weekends ago.

These aren’t your average walking tour: you’ve got to engage . There were introductions from the group and lots of discussion. According to Dan this was part of the plan.

“Many people are used to a walking tour in which they remain very passive (see Dan’s blog post about this here); we’re also taught in school to respect the authority of the teacher. So we’re experimenting with different facilitation tools in various tours to make people ‘unlearn’ what they think are proper rules of engagement for a walking tour (incorporating elements of ethnography that allow people to immerse themselves into the experience).”

The feminism tour hit a few hot spots for feminist history in the capital and the discussion moved from voting rights, to representation to the Charter. There are evening and weekend time-slots for the tours and for the summer, all for just two bucks. I’m looking forward to taking the newly launched money tour sometime this month too. It’s all very much still in “beta” form, so they are looking for feedback, building out the content, and getting the website content all up to snuff. Be patient with them while they work out the kinks, but my experience was relatively smooth.

Here’s more on the project from Dan:

Apt613: How did (de)tours come to be? What was your inspiration?

Dan: We love learning and exploring, and wanted to find a way to share that with others in a way that celebrated this curiosity at every step. Most of the projects we have taken on to-date stem from a desire to create places and spaces in our community where conversations about the present can happen in a meaningful and thoughtful way. More specific to walking tours, we were very inspired by the ethos of Jane’s Walk, and the idea that, in order to know yourself, you have to know your community. Finally, wanted to create an opportunity to explore a city and/or concept in the way that does justice to it, and does not necessarily just cater to tourists and popular places.

Apt613: What is your goal for the project?

Dan: Our goal has been to create a thoughtful yet enjoyable approach to exploring “big topics”: complex, current, and meaningful issues. We want to create a welcoming opportunity for people to connect and engage in good conversation, including about challenging topics that don’t always come up in everyday life. The final stop on all of our tours is always a place for a meal or drinks, to allow participants to share their perspectives.

Using Ottawa as our lab, we want to create walks that are based in the present, but imagine a possible future. We want to encourage our participants to question very basic assumptions about our society, and to consider alternatives. Our Local Food Solutions tour looks at urban spaces and the opportunities for sustainable food sources. Our Money tour (still in development) includes time to talk about Bitcoin, and about Bytowne Bucks, a local alternative currency that has recently appeared in Ottawa. Ottawa (de)tours is a labour of love for both of us. We have incorporated, and will be using profits to make (de)tours particularly engaging to youth.

Apt613: Can you describe what you love about a walking tour?

Dan: We love the opportunity to indulge our curiosity about places and current issues. We love to explore the links between places we walk past regularly and current issues, such that the spaces can take on new meaning. We love getting to know others with similar interests, and to talk with others whose perspective may be entirely different. We love to visit places and talk about issues that we read about in the paper that day, as opposed to just discussing the past. We love challenging ourselves to engage with various topics from new perspectives, and to make them accessible as a point of departure into more complex issues. Debate allows us to understand where we stand and to check our assumptions.

Apt613: You’re covering Food, Feminism, Money, Play. What else can we expect in the program?

Dan: This has been our #SummerOfBeta. Because this type of thing doesn’t exist elsewhere, we wanted to test our assumptions with real people ‘in the field’ (as opposed to armchair designing). We also wanted rapid prototyping, to remain lean, and try to scale once we have a good model (we’re already received some proposals to create it as a social franchise in other Canadian cities once we land on a sustainable model).

The summer of beta also means that all tours look very different one from another. For instance, our Play walk visits a classic tavern, and our guide is a beer expert. Our Local Food Solutions walk includes the chance to taste-test bounty from a backyard permaculture project. Our Money tour stops at the Standard Tavern on Elgin, which accepts Bitcoin.

In terms of what’s next, we’re looking for big national identity topics. We’re in talks to bring in a ‘Healthcare’ tour; we want to bring something to life on “Water’, and on “Canada as a warring/peaceful nation”. We are always looking for new ways to make our walks and talks. We would really like to put something together on “How (political) Ottawa works”.

]]>http://apt613.ca/geek-out-your-walking-with-ottawa-detours/feed/0Hull your ass across the River! Arboretum will make it worth your whilehttp://apt613.ca/hull-your-ass-across-the-river-arboretum-will-make-it-worth-your-while/
http://apt613.ca/hull-your-ass-across-the-river-arboretum-will-make-it-worth-your-while/#commentsTue, 19 Aug 2014 13:00:47 +0000Ryan Saxby Hillhttp://apt613.ca/?p=73356Arboretum is taking the party to Hull with a full night of programming across the river, including shows at Le Troquet and Le Petit Chicago. This will be a great opportunity to increase our cultural dialogue across the river and help extend the festival audience.

Nicolas Sylvestre, of the Fau Mardi collective, (a group that links DJs, VJs, producers and other technology-engaged artists together for events and shows) believes that people who cross the river to work should really think more about getting to know the community after hours. “Reality is that there is a divide between the two cities, be it linguistic or cultural. A good example is that you’ve got people crossing the river each day for work without ever really knowing, or wanting to know the city they set foot in.”

He continues, “In that regard, bringing the different music communities of the area has always been one of our goals, though it’s not always easy to have people crossing over the bridge, especially on a Tuesday night [when the Fau Mardi event takes place weekly in Hull at Le Petit Chicago]. It has led to great networking, for us, the artists we showcase, and the people who come out to our nights (regardless where they’re coming from)… I think there is great value in these interactions, as I see it as one ecosystem that depends on the good health of each of its parts.”

With two artistic communities both in need of audiences, building relationships across the river makes complete sense.

I spoke with JF at Le Troquet who pointed to this year’s Hull-based Bluesfest programming. With ample parking and a short walk to the venue at Lebreton Flats, Hull is a convenient place to leave your car for the night. JF and others worked to create programming that would start when this audience came back to pick up their cars at 11pm. The intention: Getting people into Hull venues and introducing them to the fun that this vibrant area of Gatineau has to offer is a side effect.

If the idea of crossing the bride to intimidates you, Arboretum has come up with a fun way to travel to Hull. Ottawa bike fashion blog, Ottawa Velo Vogue has organized a group ride leaving from Raw Sugar at 8p.m., which will travel across the bridge to the shows. According to Zara at Velo Vogue, biking is a natural fit for the Arboretum program. “A big part of Arboretum’s mission is to connect festival goers with our city’s natural spaces, public spaces and architectural heritage. And of course there’s no better way to connect with all of that than by bicycle.”

She’s excited to help people learn a bit more about a great bike destination and what she calls a “hidden gem” in the city.

“Hull has so much to offer and people in Ottawa are missing out if they aren’t taking that in. It’s a great city with a lot of history and interesting architecture. And there are incredible people doing incredibly creative work in Hull. Every Tuesday night Fau Mardi at Petit Chicago showcases electronic culture with local and emerging talent from Ottawa and Gatineau – amazing artists who work with technology.”

It’s all good new for Hull, but there’s a ways to go.

“If ‘Vieux Hull’ is to really take its place as the (natural) downtown of Gatineau, it needs more than condo towers and the soon-to-be-built multifunctional centre,” says Sylvestre. “Different art initiatives can go a long way into keeping development at a human level, and the art community has been active in engaging in this idea of ‘humanizing’ Hull Island. Moreover, you’ll see them in cafés, restaurants, bars, concerts, events, etc. which is central to creating a living space where people can relate to one another and their environment, with a sense of community.”

With two cities where burgeoning arts scenes need to find willing audiences, projects that help people remember to cross the river every now and then can only help. JK at Le Troquet was pretty confident that Arboretum was doing it right, finding partners and building an audience in Hull.

It should all make for a fun Tuesday night. The bike convoy meets at Raw Sugar Café at 7pm. They’ll have some treats on hand and head for the ride around 8pm. There are two shows Tuesday, with Her Harbour and Jesse MacCormack playing La Troquet at 8pm (doors at 7pm, $5 or free with a festival pass) and Fau Mardi continuing the party at Le Petit Chicago at 10pm (free event). Make sure you bring your bike lights!

Make your mark – that’s the slogan featured on the City of Ottawa’s website for the upcoming municipal elections. Equal Voice National Capital Region (NCR), the local chapter of Canada’s only multi-partisan organization dedicated to electing more women, is calling on Ottawa women to heed this call and put their name forward on the ballot this fall as candidates.

Criss-crossing the city are numerous landmarks named after female leaders who have made their mark in the political realm – Marion Dewar Plaza adjacent to Ottawa City Hall; Claudette Cain Park in Gloucester; the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women and Gender Studies at Carleton University; the Famous Five monument on Parliament Hill – to name a few.

The October 2014 municipal election is an opportunity for women in our city to follow in the footsteps of these leaders and make their mark as a candidate for Mayor, Councillor, or School Board Trustee. The deadline to register as a candidate is coming up on Friday, September 12, 2014, at 2 p.m.

At Equal Voice NCR, we believe that electing more women is a fundamental question of fairness. It is critical that women across the political spectrum bring their voices to the decision-making tables of Canada’s democratic institutions. That’s why we have been closely tracking the numbers of women putting their names on the ballot.

One third – that’s the mark set by experts as constituting the critical mass needed to ensure that women’s perspectives are sufficiently heard and acted upon in decision-making bodies – and 30 percent is the minimum percentage we want to see our city meet. With time, fifty percent women and men should be seen as the norm, not the rare exception.

At the time of writing, there is a strong contingent of women in the race for school board trustee in all four boards. However, we are dismayed at the low numbers of women running at the Councillor and Mayoral levels.

By the numbers:

Just 20% of the candidates currently declared as running for Councillor are women

In 14 wards, no women have declared at all

All five candidates running in the Mayoralty race are male

Research shows that when women put their names forward on the ballot they enjoy the same success rate as men – and sometimes enjoy a slight advantage. Women are generally regarded as sincere about their public service goals and are perceived as serious candidates. The public knows it’s harder for women to put their names forward, so when they do, they tend to be well regarded for participating in the process.

Equal Voice NCR has focused on equipping women who want to run for office – and their campaign teams – with the tools they need to succeed through a series of workshops this past year called ‘Skills to Go’. The first workshop focused on campaign skills and featured speakers who shared their expertise on how to run a successful campaign. The second focused on speech-writing skills. We plan to host one more workshop in the fall.

We can all play a role when it comes to increasing the democratic representation of women in our governments. Equal Voice’s campaign slogan sums it up perfectly – Be Her. Support Her. Celebrate Her.

If you’re a woman, consider running.

If you are a man or woman, encourage a woman to run.

Take an active role in supporting female candidates with your time and/or money.

Equal Voice NCR applauds all of the women who have put their names forward so far in this election. And to all of the smart, savvy, Ottawa women reading this post, we ask – how about you?

]]>http://apt613.ca/calling-all-ottawa-women-make-your-mark-in-the-october-2014-election/feed/2Olivia Chow offers Ottawa a “two for one” mayor dealhttp://apt613.ca/olivia-chow-offers-ottawa-a-two-for-one-deal/
http://apt613.ca/olivia-chow-offers-ottawa-a-two-for-one-deal/#commentsTue, 01 Apr 2014 12:30:48 +0000Ryan Saxby Hillhttp://apt613.ca/?p=67307In a surprise move Olivia Chow has declared that she will also run for the office of Mayor of Ottawa in the upcoming 2014 municipal election, offering Ottawa a “two for one” deal if she also wins her bid to take the reigns at Toronto City Hall.

“If a crack-smoking buffoon can successfully run Toronto, I can probably run at least two cities” stated Chow in a one-on-one interview with Apartment613 this morning, adding “quite frankly, I’m worried I might be bored with just a single city to run.”

“Ottawa is a decent fit for me,” said Chow. “I heard the current guy running it doesn’t even drink coffee, so imagine what I can do with a few Bridgehead dark roasts in my system.”

Citing an unrelenting stamina and “still being stuck in a lease up there anyway”, Chow said that it would be her honour to run Ottawa as a bit of a hobby.

Ultimately it will be up to the people of Ottawa to decide whether they thought she was up to the jobs.

Ottawans go to the polls this coming November.

]]>http://apt613.ca/olivia-chow-offers-ottawa-a-two-for-one-deal/feed/5Live chat with Mayor Jim Watson today at noon!http://apt613.ca/live-chat-with-mayor-jim-watson-today-at-noon/
http://apt613.ca/live-chat-with-mayor-jim-watson-today-at-noon/#commentsMon, 18 Nov 2013 13:25:15 +0000François Levesquehttp://apt613.ca/?p=61137Every month, Mayor Jim Waston takes does an online Q&A with different journalists across the city. Today is Apt613′s chance to speak to him. The live, interactive chat takes place between 12-1pm on jimwatson.ca. We’ll be taking questions from Twitter, Facebook, emails and comments. If you want to know what Watson’s local brew is or what he thinks of the LRT expansion, this is your chance.

New technology is changing the way that we produce and prototype goods. 3D printers have inspired a new generation of crafters, makers and hackers taking charge of their own production in new and creative ways. This panel will bring together Ottawans thinking about how technology is changing the way we make goods and what this might mean for our local culture and economy.

Doors open at 7pm at the Shopify Lounge, 126 York Street in the Byward Market. Special thanks to Kichesippi Brewery and the Shopify Lounge for their support. Thanks to Maker for our awesome logo.

]]>http://apt613.ca/apartment613-talks-3d-printing-the-democratization-of-production/feed/1Visit Syria from a seat at the NAC on October 29thhttp://apt613.ca/visit-syria-from-a-seat-at-the-nac-on-october-29th/
http://apt613.ca/visit-syria-from-a-seat-at-the-nac-on-october-29th/#commentsMon, 28 Oct 2013 14:30:17 +0000Megan Staceyhttp://apt613.ca/?p=59898Big names will be gracing the podium at the National Arts Centre on Oct. 29 – and you can be there to meet them.

In an event put on by thePANEL, experts will come together to discuss the role that Canada should play in the Syrian humanitarian crisis.

Speakers include Senator Romeo Dallaire, former representative to the UN Paul Heinbecker, University of Waterloo professor Dr. Bessma Momani and co-founder of the SecDev Group Rafal Rohozinski.

ThePANEL is a non-profit, non-partisan group committed to bringing Canadians lively and intelligent conversation on foreign policy issues.

Spokesperson Jennifer Miller describes thePANEL as “a group of students and young professionals who are excited about Canada’s future on the world stage and want to talk about the challenges and opportunities we’ll face in making it a reality.”

And if the panelists are any indication, smart and engaging debate is what the audience will get. The four-person panel will include moderation by Evan Solomon, of CBC’s Power&Politics. From diplomat to analyst, you can find biographies for each of these distinguished guests here.

“The idea behind thePANEL is to find bright, interesting speakers who can sink their teeth into our topics, and a skilled moderator who can bring out the best in them and the audience,” says Miller.

The night will kick off with a mixer at 7pm, where guests can chat, mingle and network. Audience interaction is a priority for thePANEL, even beyond those in seats at the NAC. There will be extensive social media coverage for those following along from their living rooms!

But if there’s one thing thePANEL has learned since its inception, it’s that people in Ottawa are more than willing to brave the cold for such an affair. Last February’s debate on Canada’s role in Asia sold out so quickly, relocation for this event was inevitable. Luckily, the NAC has room for 300 people.

Tuesday’s panel discussion begins at 8pm at the NAC. Tickets can be purchased here. For $15 you’d be crazy not to come. If you are a student, thePANEL has your back – you can get tickets for $12!

Megan Stacey is a fourth year journalism student at Carleton University.Find her on Twitter @meganestacey.

]]>http://apt613.ca/visit-syria-from-a-seat-at-the-nac-on-october-29th/feed/2Staring into the political crystal ball with three of Canada’s top political journalistshttp://apt613.ca/wells-ibbitson-and-delacourt-and-writers-festival/
http://apt613.ca/wells-ibbitson-and-delacourt-and-writers-festival/#commentsSun, 27 Oct 2013 21:30:20 +0000Apartment613http://apt613.ca/?p=60088While the Senate scandal rivets the country, political junkies from across Canada are asking some fairly important questions. Is this the beginning of the end for Prime Minister Harper? Will the Conservatives weather this brutal storm and win a fourth consecutive term? Are Canadian horrified, or simply indifferent, about what is happening on Parliament Hill?

With exquisite timing, the Ottawa International Writers Festival has organized an event on Tuesday, October 29, with three of Canada’s best political journalists to discuss national politics. While all three were booked some time ago, before the latest brouhaha with Senator Mike Duffy and company erupted, this sold out gathering could not have come at a better time.

Paul Wells of Maclean’s magazine has just released The Longer I’m Prime Minister, a brutally honest portrayal of Prime Minister Harper’s seven years in power (and counting). For Conservative opponents who still cannot understand how the Tories have won three successive federal elections, this insightful work has some straight talk.

“Readers who still cannot bring themselves to believe he is the elected Prime Minister of this country not only misunderstand Stephen Harper. They also misunderstand Canada,” writes Wells.

This engaging book explains in clear detail how the Prime Minister is playing a long game, with incremental yet fundamental changes that are meant to change this country forever. For instance, Wells argues that Harper’s much criticised GST cuts were not meant to increase productivity, but to deliberately drain federal coffers so future governments cannot expand social programs. Good luck to any future Liberal or NDP government that wants to raise the GST to help pay for, say, a national day care program.

John Ibbitson

For his part, John Ibbitson of The Globe and Mail has written extensively on how Canada’s political foundations have changed, and how this transformation is setting the groundwork for our country’s future politics.

In The Big Shift, which he co-wrote with pollster Darrell Bricker, Ibbiston notes that for almost its entire history Canada was dominated by elites in the Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto corridor. The numerous constitutional battles, the push to implement official bilingualism, economic policy, even Canada’s image of itself, was by and large conceived and implemented by a specific set of interests in urban Ontario and Quebec.

Dubbed the Laurentian Consensus, this elite was pushed aside in the federal election of 2011, which saw a coalition of western interests and suburban Ontario voters bring the Tories to power. This dramatic change is now setting the stage for a completely new dynamic, in which the growing West and the political strong suburbs of Ontario advance their own agenda.

Whether this coalition holds, something that Ibbitson admits is no sure thing, will largely determine whether the Conservatives are re-elected for a fourth term.

Susan Delacourt

While Wells focuses on Harper, and Ibbitson on the loss of power of the Laurentian Consensus, Shopping for Votes by Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star looks at the changing relationship between political parties and voters. Whereas in the past the electorate were treated as citizens, today they are seen as consumers whose allegiances can be won through advertisements.

This change in attitude has had a profound effect on political campaigns and governing, argues Delacourt. Instead of seeking to build a national consensus on a single, grand project, politicians are increasingly slicing and dicing the electorate into specific sub-groups that can be pandered to.

In his inaugural speech in 1961, President Kennedy famously said, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Fast forward to today, and it seems that politicians see no big role for voters, except as customers whose vote can be purchased every few years with tax cuts and – judging by the last federal throne speech – a reduction in cable bills. In today’s world it’s rare to find a leader who wants to inspire the entire country with a big, common purpose.

If voters become consumers, however, then the relationship between government and the governed is profoundly changed, says Delacourt. The result is an electorate that tunes out of the political process, and who see politics not as a way to create social change (whether from the right, centre of left or the idealogical spectrum), but rather as a means to meet consumer needs.